Keeping Up With All 32 NCAA Division I 2023 Conference Tournaments (A-B)
Before we can dive into the electric NCAA tournament and March Madness, we first have to get through the Division I conference tournaments. Some conferences have already started their matches early and others wait until the end leading up to Selection Sunday. Here is your guide to each of the 32 divisions, when they will start and finish their tournaments, and key news related to their matches.
NCAA Division I: America East
The America East conference tournament starts on Saturday, March 4. The championship game will be played on March 11, at 11 am on ESPN2. All eyes will be on the top two seeds. Vermont has played very well this season and has won their last 12 games. They open the tournament with a conference record of 14-2 and 20-10 overall. The second team that has played hot this season is Massachusetts-Lowell, they are currently on a four-game winning streak with an 11-5 conference record and 24-7 overall. Will one of these two teams receive an automatic bid for the NCAA tournament or will a dark horse arise and steal their thunder?
NCAA Division I: American Athletic
The American Athletic conference will kick off its tournament on March 9 and conclude on March 12 on ESPN. On Sunday, March 5, teams will play their final regular season game before prepping for the tournament. Number one seed Houston and number two Memphis have already sealed their fate as the top two teams in the division and will receive a bye to start.
Houston is currently the number one team in the country and will be a force to be reckoned with whether they win the conference tournament or not because they will receive a bid to the last dance. Although not ranked, the Memphis Tigers are almost guaranteed to make the NCAA tournament. They are currently around a number six seed.
NCAA Division I: Atlantic 10
The Atlantic 10 conference will start its tournament on March 7 and conclude on March 12 on CBS Sports. Saturday, March 4 is the last day of the season schedule before getting ready for the tournament. The top four seeds in the tournament will receive a double bye. These teams will be VCU, Saint Louis, Dayton, and Fordham.
No Atlantic 10 team has over a 30 percent chance to make the tournament so the best chance to make the dance will be to win their conference tournament. The VCU Rams have been the top dog all season and have shown no signs of slowing down. If they beat George Washington on Saturday, they will ride a six-game winning streak into the tournament.
NCAA Division I: ACC
The Atlantic Coast conference, like most power conferences, will start its tournament during the week of Selection Sunday. The tournament will start on March 7 and finish on March 11 on ESPN. The conference will wrap up its regular season on Saturday, March 4. The ACC currently has three teams in the AP top 25. Virginia is number 13, Miami is number 16, and Pittsburgh at number 25. Almost half of the conference is expected to receive a bid for the NCAA tournament. The two top seeds in the tournament are expected to be five seeds, they are Virginia and Miami. Duke, NC State, North Carolina, and Pittsburgh are the other teams expected to make the tourney.
NCAA Division I: ASUN
The Atlantic Sun conference started its tournament on February 27 and will finish on March 5 on ESPN2. The Liberty Flames are currently favorites to win the conference and receive the automatic bid to March Madness. They will square off against Kennesaw State. Both teams led the ASUN conference this season and they tied at 15-3 in the conference. The winner of this matchup will most likely receive a 13 seed in the tournament
NCAA Division I: Big 12
The Big 12 will begin its conference tournament on March 8 and will halt on March 11. The network it will air on has not been released yet. The conference will conclude its regular season on Saturday, March 4. There are currently five teams in the AP top 25. All five should make the tournament and another two are expected to receive bids as well. Kansas currently leads the conference and is expected to be a number one seed. Baylor and Kansas State are expected to be two seeds. The rest of the teams are Texas, TCU, Iowa State, and West Virginia.
NCAA Division I: Big East
The Big East conference will officially start on March 8 and conclude on March 11 via FOX. Like most top conferences, they will end their regular season on Saturday, March 4. The Big East currently has four teams on the AP top 25 list. All four are expected to receive bids along with Creighton. Marquette will be the one seed in the conference tournament and Xavier will be the two seed. Connecticut has the highest chance to walk away with the victory.
NCAA Division I: Big Sky
The Big Sky conference started its tournament on the day most conferences are finishing up their regular season, on Saturday, March 4. The conference tournament will conclude on March 8 via ESPN2. Eastern Washington and Montana State lead the conference and both have the highest odds of winning the Big Sky tournament. Whoever walks away from the tournament victorious will receive the automatic bid, no other team is expected to receive a bid from this mid-tier conference.
NCAA Division I: Big South
The Big South conference began its tournament at the start of March and will have its championship on Sunday, March 5 on ESPN2. Campbell and UNC Asheville will face off on Sunday for the Big South championship. UNC Asheville was the number one seed and Campbell was the seventh seed, should be a great game to watch. Campbell entered the tournament with a five percent chance to win it. The winner of the Big South conference is expected to be a 16 seed in the NCAA tournament.
NCAA Division I: Big Ten
The Big Ten conference is one of the few that push the envelope before Selection Sunday. The conference tournament will start on March 8 and finish on March 12 right before the panel announces the NCAA tournament bids. The regular season is set to conclude on Sunday, March 5. Like other top-tier conferences, the Big Ten is expected to receive a lot of bids into the big dance. Eight of the 14 teams should make the tournament with a possible ninth if a dark horse team wins the conference tournament.
Purdue is expected to be a number two seed even though they’ve had an up-and-down season. They will finish the regular season as the clear-cut number-one team in the Big Ten. Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Rutgers, and Illinois are the other teams expected to make the cut. One of the first four out teams is Michigan. They are currently looking in from the outside and are a couple of games away from increasing their chances to go to the big dance.
NCAA Division I: Big West
The Big West conference will start its tournament on March 7 and conclude on March 11 on ESPN2. The regular season will wrap up on Saturday, March 4. The Big West is another conference with no elite teams and will depend on the tournament to receive a bid. If UC Santa Barbara wins Saturday night, they will receive the number one seed in the conference tournament and UC Irvine will receive the second seed. The conference has seven teams with over ten conference wins so the tournament shall be an interesting one.
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